ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

A survey conducted by a UK support services company suggests that university students draw a direct link between their own academic achievement and the cleanliness of their campus and halls of residence.

The survey revealed that 44 per cent of students felt they would gain a better qualification if their campus and halls of residence were cleaner and more organised. The majority of students (48 per cent) rated the cleanliness of campus facilities as quite important, while 41 per cent said it was extremely important.

"The evidence is clear that higher education institutions need to develop a consistently high standard of cleanliness throughout their facilities to ensure their students experience the best possible environment for learning," said Andy Vaughan, managing director of Resource GB - the company that carried out the research.

The survey correlates with similar research conducted throughout the US and Canada by APPA, an association of over 5,000 education facilities professionals, which assessed the impact of cleanliness on student performance to determine the link between personal health and cleanliness.

Findings showed that 88 per cent of students assessed by the APPA felt that a lack of cleanliness becomes a distraction while 84 per cent reported that they desired orderly spotlessness and tidiness to create a good learning environment.

Students were also acutely aware of their own influence over campus cleanliness, with 88 per cent of students reporting that they should be involved in keeping campus buildings clean, which encourages projects to involve students in cleaning initiatives.